This blog is supposed to depict my Journey in education. The journey I will take professionally, and also the journey I will hopefully take my students on.

Action Research-"Closing the gap of ELL"

Abstract

In the United States, 70% of those students classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) are native-born Hispanics. In addition, the percentage of ELL students, also referred to as Limited English Proficient (LEP), is also on the rise. The increase in these numbers and its impact on my campus is the reason for my action research. Even though the numbers are increasing, the achievement rate for this group is on the decline. It is time for an intervention and a plan to be put in place. As a result, I researched programs and decided to use a program called Imagine Learning.  This is an award-winning educational software used by hundreds of thousands of students in schools across the United States and around the world. Students receive one-on-one instruction through thousands of engaging activities specifically designed to meet their individual needs and provide real results. Imagine Learning prides itself on being a language and literacy solution. We piloted the program with a small sample size of 58 students who we determined were in need of an intervention through data. We determined the intervention to be successful with a 7% growth in achievement on the state assessment. I was also able to implement a plan of action for our ELL program for the subsequent years to come. We will continue to use the Imagine Learning program and also adequately prepare our teachers through professional development.

Title and Author

My name is Sherica Daughtery and my action research project, Closing the Achievement Gap for our ELL Students, was specifically designed to aid in increasing the academic performance of the ELL students located on the campus where I am employed. Currently, I work in a large Title I school that is in stage 1, year 1 based on our Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) performance.  Specifically, we are in this state due to our ELL students’ performance in the content area of reading.  I have been assigned to be part of a comprehensive team that was tasked with researching and implementing a computer-based program entitled Imagine Learning that was designed specifically to help address ELL students’ performance in reading.

Introduction / Background

I presently function in the role of a curriculum skill specialist at an urban school located in the northeast region of Harris County. The current campus student population is composed of 92 % Hispanics, 5.9% African Americans, and 1.4 % Whites. We also have an economically disadvantaged rate of 89.8%, an at-risk rate of 47.3%, and an ELL population of 20%. Our parental involvement overall is at a minimum.  It has been on the decline from previous years because of programs and activities that we have implemented as a campus.  For me, the greatest challenge that we face as a campus is that we do not have the support of the parents at home, because in many cases, the students’ academic abilities even in intermediate school has  surpassed the educational attainment of their respective  parents.  

A cursory review of the campuses’ previous Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) and AYP data helped to confirm that as a campus, we have been in a steady rate of decline in the area of ELL reading beginning in 2006. From my daily interactions with many of these students, I have also come to the startling conclusion that many of these students cannot read or perform academically on grade level especially when English is the primary language that must be utilized. In some cases, these students’ reading levels have been noted to be more than four grade levels behind their peers when measured with instruments such as the Iowa Text Basic Skills (ITBS). Unfortunately, it has become extremely difficult to identify whether these deficits are the results of a language problem or an actual learning disability.  Compounding the issue of attempting to determine a root cause of the students’ low academic performance is that often these students have been our greatest discipline challenges.

Therefore, the focus of my action research plan is to identify some of the problems and potential solutions for these students in the area of reading.  Because many of the students lack phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills, it is beyond the scope of this project and time to address every single variable or factor.  Instead, I will focus this action plan specifically on addressing increasing fluency. 

From my research findings, I am hoping that I have provided a valuable resource for the campus to utilize and more specifically, that I have provided an alternative intervention that will positively impact our ELL students’ academic performance. I am also hoping that by using this program, the ELL students enrolled in the program will have demonstrated some increased level of reading proficiency as well as have shown marked improvement in their reading vocabulary, fluency, or reading comprehension performance. It is my overall long-term goal that the ELL students, who have historically struggled with standardized testing, will achieve some modicum of academic success along with the other students in their respective grade levels, Moreover, I hope that additional evidence will be noted in increased academic performance by ELL students on the STAAR test resulting in the removal of the subgroup from the AYP stage 1 year 1 listing.

Listed below are terms that would better help you understand my action research:

Adequate Year Progress (AYP)

English Language Learner (ELL)

Language English Proficiency (LEP)

Research-based

Economically Disadvantaged Students (ED)

Imagine Learning

Literature Review

English Language Acquisitions

The number of English language learners has increased considerably in the US. In the 2003-2004 school year, 5.5 million school-age children were English language learners—an increase of nearly 100% from a decade earlier (Leos, 2004). Language acquisition is the process of learning a native or a second language. The acquisition of native languages is studied primarily by developmental psychologists and psycholinguists. Although how children learn to speak is not perfectly understood, most explanations involve both the observation that children copy what they hear and the inference that human beings have a natural aptitude for understanding grammar (Ortiz & Pagan, 2009).

While children usually learn the sounds and vocabulary of their native language through imitation, grammar is seldom taught to them explicitly; that they nonetheless rapidly acquire the ability to speak grammatically supports the theory advanced by Rieger and McGrail (2006) and other proponents of transformational grammar. According to this view, children are able to learn the "superficial" grammar of a particular language because all intelligible languages are founded on a "deep structure" of grammatical rules that are universal and that correspond to an innate capacity of the human brain.

Stages in the acquisition of a native language can be measured by the increasing complexity and originality of a child's utterances (August & Hakuta, 1997). Children at first may over generalize grammatical rules and say, for example, goed (meaning went), a form they are unlikely to have heard. This suggest that they have intuited or deduced complex grammatical rules (here, how to conjugate regular verbs) and failed only to learn exceptions that cannot be predicted from a knowledge of the grammar alone.

The acquisition of second or foreign languages is studied primarily by applied linguists. People learning a second language pass through some of the same stages, including over generalization, as do children learning their native language. However, people rarely become as fluent in a second language as in their native tongue. Some linguists see the earliest years of childhood as a critical period, after which the brain loses much of its facility for assimilating new languages.

Most traditional methods for learning a second language involve some systematic approach to the analysis and comprehension of grammar as well as to the memorization of vocabulary. The cognitive approach, increasingly favored by experts in language acquisition, emphasizes extemporaneous conversation, immersion, and other techniques intended to simulate the environment in which most people acquire their native language as children.( Columbia, 2013)

Instructional Programming

            All students, regardless of their linguistic, sociocultural, or economic backgrounds, are expected to meet high academic standards. For this reason, assessment and accountability are critical components of an effective dual language program (cite). Teachers and administrators must systematically collect and interpret student data in order to facilitate appropriate decision making (Howard, Sugarman, Christian, Lindholm-Leary, & Rogers 2007. Imagine Learning English uses technology to continually collect student data. As students use the program, their proficiency in curriculum areas like vocabulary, listening, comprehension, and literacy is automatically assessed and recorded.

The following highlights key aspects of the Imagine Learning English curriculum that are especially beneficial for English language learners. The program aligns with national standards and assessments (Howard et al., 2007). The program follows objectives that correlate to national and state standards and assessments, preparing students for future grade levels and state and national tests. It also provides relevant and cognitively engaging interactions.  It uses rich context to teach meaningful vocabulary and phrases, preparing students to function in a variety of authentic interactions and satisfy basic needs in school and social settings. Imagine Learning integrates theme instruction in areas such as reading, where texts are strategically paired to build background knowledge and facilitate comprehension (Berman, Minicucci, McLaughlin, Nelson, & Woodworth, 1995). The program incorporates language objectives. It applies core second-language acquisition and bilingualism principles such as explicit instruction and language learning strategies to help students meet key language objectives. The program incorporates strategic first-language support. It teaches academic vocabulary, challenging concepts, and phonological awareness in both English and student’s first language, enhancing comprehension and facilitating mastery of new skills (Howard et al., 2007). Imagine Learning integrates and uses innovative technology to deliver differentiated, one-on-one instruction, individual feedback, and first-language support—practices that can be difficult to implement in the classroom (Berman et al., 1995).

Learning Environment

The learning environment for ELL students varies across the country with each state defining its own language policy with a wide range of interpretations often reflecting disjointed district and school policy. Exemplary instruction is a key component of any successful dual language program (cite). The inherent demands of building a strong bilingual, bi-literate, and multicultural foundation require excellence in classroom practice. Two of the most critical characteristics associated with good instruction in dual language programs are the ability to deliver optimal language input and the ability to provide scaffolded opportunities for language output (Howard et al. 2007).

 According to Eccles, Wigfield, Midgley, Reuman, McIver and  Feldlaufer (1993), classroom environmental factors such as teacher discipline and management practices, teacher-student relationships, opportunities for student decision-making, teachers’ self-efficacy, and classroom-ability grouping affect student motivation. Furthermore, they note that pubertal changes in early adolescence coupled with major changes in schooling from the elementary school conspire to create negative effects on student motivation (Eccles et al., 1993)   Based on a report by  the US Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (2003), 30% of public school teachers instructing ELL students have received training for teaching these types of  students and fewer than 3 % of teachers with ELL students have earned a degree in ESL (English Second Language) or bilingual education.  Moreover, many English language learners spend most of their academic life with teachers who speak only English and who are not prepared to fully understand their varying needs as English language learners (Howard et al., 2007). In order for today’s teachers to meet the challenge of educating a richly diverse generation of children, they need to learn a great deal about second language acquisition and effective pedagogy for English language learners through pre-service teacher education programs and in-service professional development opportunities (August & Hakuta, 1997).

Academic Achievement Gaps

Most ELL students are born in the United States as either the children of immigrants or as the children of native-born parents resulting in a growing number of third-generation ELL children (cite). Surprisingly, more than half of all ELL’s are second or third generation, and far too many of these children are not learning English even after several years in school (Cite). More than 75% of all preK-5 ELL students speak Spanish, because Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, along with other Central and South American countries, account for the largest share of immigrants. From 1972-2004, the proportion of Hispanic K-12 students in the Western U.S. grew from 15% to 39%, and minority enrollment exceeded white enrollment in 2003 (cite). Most Latinos face multiple barriers to improving academic achievement, high school completion, and postsecondary attainment. Research by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Research Council (NRC), the Urban Institute, and others identify the key challenges jeopardizing Latino students' chances to excel academically and later in life (Closing the Achievement Gap, 2004): (a) disproportionate attendance at resource-poor schools; (b) lack of access to fully qualified teachers; (c)  Lack of participation in rigorous, college-preparatory coursework; (d) parents with low-household incomes and low levels of formal education; (e) English language learners and English language learners with disabilities, both with unmet instructional needs; (f) high mobility of students whose families are migrant farm workers; and (g) students who are undocumented who cannot attend college or work legally after attaining a college degree.

However, as educators, we can not allow these challenges keep us from education the student that we serve.   Improving the quality of education, with a strong emphasis on college awareness can have lasting and profound effects on the educational achievement and attainment of all Latino students. Creating a culture of high expectations coupled with highly-trained staff that promotes both college and technical education options for all students will lead to better outcomes for Latino youth, therefore leading to closing of achievement gaps for these students Berman et al., 1995.  

Action Research Design

Subjects

When selecting the students for the sample population,  I used a technique described as purposive sampling, or judgment sampling, which is the process of selecting a sample population that is believed by the researcher to be representative of a  given population (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2012).  In furtherance of this sampling design and as the researcher, I selected the sample set using both my experience and knowledge of the group to be sampled (Gay et al., 2012).  I identified 58 students that would eventually be the subject of my research.  I used a number of resources to help me develop this initial target population. These resources included: (a) STAAR data; (b) TELPAS data; (c) running records; and, (d) teacher observation. Based on this combined data, I initially interviewed the students whom I felt exhibited the most need for an academic intervention.  I also ascertained from the potential sample populations’ teachers which students that they felt would benefit from the Imagine Learning program.

Procedures

The following Table outlines the procedures and timeline for the implementation of my action research project.

Table 1. 

Action Planning Template

Action Step(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Identify those LEP students needing interventions Meet with teachers	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo V.Gallow	Started 10/11-01/12	TAKS, TELPAS, Teacher Observation forms, Running Record Scores	Are all students identified? Is their substantial data?
Survey Teachers, Students, and Parents on knowledge and quality of ELL program as currently implemented.	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown Parental Involvement Committee	Started 10/11-01/12	Survey Monkey, Parent Portal, Book: Designing surveys: A Guide  to Decisions and Procedures	Are all parties acknowledged?
Identify Interventions	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo	Started 10/11-01/12	Research-based Interventions: Rosetta Stone, Imagine-Learning, Other district programs	Are the interventions aligned? Effective? What does the research say?
Implement schedule of classes	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo L. Glenn	01/12-05/12	Master Schedule, Assessment Data, data from other Campuses and/or district with same demographics.	Is this schedule feasible for all parties?
Establish committee to monitor student growth	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown	1/12-06/12	Data, academic plans/goals.	Do all members have a vested interest committee? Establish a common goal. What can we do to support the development of the students, and program?
Assess success of intervention	S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo	01/12 – 08/12	Data	Is the intervention working? What needs to be changed? What can be changed to make it better? Constant evaluation. Did scores rise on STAAR?

I began my action research by surveying the students, teachers, and parents evaluating our reading program on campus, specifically our bilingual program. All 209 students are given an ELL Program Survey to bring home to their parents in the fall of 2012. This survey was supposed to provide feedback to the ELL staff as to: (a) parent satisfaction with ELL Support services; (b) Parent suggestions for improvements; ( c) how the ELL program may have helped their child; and, (d) parent needs for support.  A total of 117 surveys were returned out of a total of 209. The data from the results are listed below in Table 2.  

Table 2

Survey Questions and Answers

	Responses
Questions	Yes	No	No  Opinion
I am pleased with the education my child is receiving through the district.. I am pleased with the services my child is receiving through the ELL Program.	95 93	2 3	3 4
I know my child will be successful in the program.	93	2	5
My child's ELL teacher is responsive to my questions, needs and concerns.	73	8	19
I believe the ELL program is meeting its goal with my child.	84	11	5

Next, I examined a number of researched-based programs to present to the staff. I narrowed down my research program to three programs that were suitable for our demographics. The first program, I-Station, is a program that offers research-based reading instruction to complement any core reading program. I-Station integrates explicit, direct, and systematic instruction into subject-area content with strategic reading skills in the five key reading areas threaded carefully throughout. The second reading intervention program that I reviewed, Imagine Learning, offers first-language support, academic vocabulary instruction, and comprehensive data on students’ progress.  Lastly, I review the Rosetta Stone program. After careful research and budgeting, my campus was able to purchase the Imagine Learning program to be used by the 58 identified students. We held a parent meeting presenting the program and explaining to them the desired effects of the performance of their child. We also discussed the role of the parent in the overall process.

The biggest role the parent can play is the role of a supporter and team-player. Later, we set up the schedule of classes as a committee.  We decided to facilitate the program  through the language arts classes based on  the fact that they have 110 minute classes, while the other classes are only 55 minutes long. The students were pulled from the first 30 minutes of class because it was their silent sustained reading or SSR time. Each student was allowed to access the program for 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. Myself, the reading specialist on campus, the lab teacher, and the curriculum assistant principal met monthly to discuss the data and assess the program.  A question we repeatedly asked at every meeting was, “is the student showing improvement.” At the end of my action research project we evaluated the program by conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis.

Data Collection

My data was produced through an examination of the students’ performance. I have tracked and monitored the students for a period of six months. I tracked them through the Imagine Learning reports. I also surveyed their teachers to determine if they saw growth or at least areas of potential gains.  I used the teachers’ reports as well as the running records of the students. However, my most important data set was determined by the results of the STAAR test.  I must interject at this point, though, that I feel that the data is a little skewed because this is the first year for this test and it was new to all of the students and staff. At the end of the program, a student survey was also given to collect qualitative data regarding the sampled students’ attitude toward the intervention and its affect on his/her reading fluency and comprehension

Findings

The following figure and table represent my findings in conducting my action research.

Figure 1.  Graphitic depiction of the data from the Imagine Learning Reports

Table 2

Academic growth on the state assessment

Reading	TAKS 2011	STAAR 2012
Met Standard	80	82
African American	88	79
Hispanic	80	81
White	99	99
Asian	*	*
Special Education	53	59
Economically Disadvantaged	80	81

Conclusions and Recommendations

By examining the data, I postulated that Imagine Learning was a very effective program for our ELL students. There acidic performance increased moderately over the course of the academic year. The scores went from an average of 63 in the first reporting cycle to an average of 71 at mid-year to an end of the year average of 77. While some may not think of this as substantial growth, however, when you examine both the demographics of the students as well as the reading level that the they began the year on, I think that this growth can be labeled as a success. The state assessment data showed minor growth, as well. However, as a campus we had to take in consideration that the STAAR test is a new test for all. Although we did not show a substantial amount of improvement, there was some improvement. Focusing specifically on our overall reading scores, we had an increase of  two points from 80 % to 82% percent passing, with our  ELL reading scores increasing 7 points from 50% to 57% .  As the researcher,  my suggestions for a future action plan would involve taking a small sample of students with the same criterion and monitored the group also to see the differentiation between the two groups.

A second recommendation that I have would be just not to pull a small sample but to pull a subgroup. I feel like that our scores would have been better if I had pulled the entire LEP subgroup which is currently compiled of 209 students. Another recommendation is to incorporate this program as part of our after school program or RTI, because sometimes the kids were not able to be pulled if the teacher had an important assignment and were skipping SSR time or common assessment or benchmark days. I feel that If we set aside a better allotment of time we would also be able to gain greater results. This is few suggestions that I have on the implementation of the program for next year.

References

August, D., & Hakuta, K. (Ed.). (1997). Improving schooling for language-minority children: A research agenda. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Berman, P., Minicucci, C., McLaughlin, B., Nelson, B., & Woodworth, K. (1995). School reform and student diversity: Case studies of exemplary practices for LEP students. Santa Cruz, CA: National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning, and B.W. Associates.

Closing the achievement gap: Focus on Latino students. (2004). American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from   http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/12929/          

Columbia, J.C. (2013).  Educating Latino students in a strange new land.  Journal of Teacher Education, 28 (2), 65-78

Eccles, J. S., Wigfield, A., Midgely, D. R. Mac Iver, D., & Feldlaufer, H. (1993).

Negative effects of traditional middle school on students’ motivation. The Elementary School Journal, 93(5), 553-574.

Gay L. R., Mills, G., Airasian, P. (2012). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Howard, E. R., Sugarman, J., Christian, D., Lindholm-Leary, K. J., & Rogers, D. (2007). Guiding principles for dual language education (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Leos, K. (2004, October). No child left behind. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National association for Bilingual Education, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Ortiz, T., & Pagan, M. (2009). Closing the achievement gap: A leaders guide to making schools effective culturally and linguistically diverse students. Retrieved from the International Center for Educational leadership website: http://www.leadered.com/pdf/Closing%20ELL%20Gap%20kit%20excerpt.pdf

Rieger, A., & McGrail, E. (2006). Understanding English Language Learners’ Needs and the Language Acquisition Process: Two Teacher Educators’ Perspectives. Retrieved from The National Institute for Urban School Improvement website

http://www.urbanschools.org/pdf/understanding_ell.pdf

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). Overview of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools and Districts: School Year 2001-2002 (NCES 2003–411). Retrieved May 3, 2004 from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=96

What can we do to help close the achievement gap and improve our practice toward our ELL students?

Needs Assessments

For the needs assessment for this action research project, I have used a number of resources to target these particular students. I have used teacher input, benchmark data from the district, also data from this years past years state test show that the number of ELL students being successful is on the decline. It is only reasonable for a campus to realize that a change has to take place. We need to provide these students with resources to perform with mastery. Therefore we need to better prepare our teachers with strategies to better educate this group of students. On my campus we are 85 percent Hispanic with most of this students also being economically disadvantaged. Therefore targeting this group of students will help us meet AYP and once more become an “exemplary” campus.

Objectives and Vision of the action research project

 Fundamental to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is that every child can learn and that all schools are accountable for student progress. One of the implications of this initiative is teacher accountability and a commitment to help every student in the classroom meet high expectations. Education Secretary Spellings (United States Department of Education, 2006) emphasized the importance of meeting the needs of the fastest-growing student population in the United States of America, the English Language Learners (ELLs). She strongly urged educators to help every child reach grade level because school children deserve nothing less (Taube, 2006). Therefore the objective of my research is to provide teachers, parents,  and students alike with resources and strategies that they may use in the classroom and in society . My vision is that we also provide aid to these students, but also the parents.

Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy

Connecting Research About English language Learners to Practice. Learning Point Associates. 2009.

Crawford, J. Educating English Learners: Language Diversity in the Classroom 5^th ed. Los Angeles; Biligual Educational Services. 2004.

 Goldenberg, C. Teaching English language Learners: What the Research Says and Does Not Say. American Educator. 32(2) 8-44. 2008

Taube, Sylvis R. and Polnick. Meeting the Needs of a Latino English Language Learner through Teacher Research. The Qualitative Report. Volume 11 Number 4 . 2006.

I created my own idea for my research project. I feel there is a need for information on this topic. I spoke with my site supervisor, who also agreed that this is a great topic. However she did inform me that this is a huge endeavor and that the topic must be handled with care especially targeting any particular group of students. I must always keep in mind ethical guidelines and litigation laws. I was also sent to spend time and discuss this topic with the LEP coordinator, who is an assistant principle at the campus, and we many discussed ideas and resources. She wanted to establish a action plan to implement for this years’ students in order to provide assistance to the curriculum.

Articulate the Vision

I have articulated my vision and objectives to the administrative staff on my campus a t a round table discussion. We agreed that at the start of the 2012-2013 school year that I would be given the opportunity to explain and discuss the objectives I have for the ELL students, and provide professional development for the teachers and staff at that time. As a campus we will articulate the vision to the parents at the PTA meetings, open houses, and parent night. We would provide opportunities for parents’ ideas, questions, comments, and concerns through the parental involvement committee.

Manage the organization

In order to manage the operation first I will create a committee. As a committee we will monitor all ELL students will meet approximately every three weeks to review the data of the assessments and implementation of programs and resources. At that time will and also pay close attention to areas of growth and areas of potential growth of this group of students. We will discuss strategies and provide feedback to teachers. We will also determine resources for parents and the community. As a committee will meet with students to make sure that they understand the benefits resources and strategies provided for them. The committee will be comprised of faculty staff, and parents.

Manage Operations

Due to the frequency of the committee meeting, and the constant feed back to teachers; we will sustain and maintain communication. Because of this we will be able to keep teachers and parents abreast. We will use the data as a tool to provide opportunities for reflection and changes in plan As a team we will be able to better serve our student and children and provide opportunities of success in there education. Sustaining an open line of communication and working as a team are two important factors in managing the operations. We will work together to provide professional development if needed for teaches, and also provide workshops for parents if and when needed.

Respond to Community Interest and Needs

Again the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act states that every child can learn. Therefore we will provide support for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, language, socio economic background, and gender. We will meet the student at his /her level and provide instruction using strategies that they will move closer to grade-level. This applies to special education students also. As teachers we have to determine the students strengths and work with those strengths to help build on those weaknesses. For a student who may not be able to afford clothes and supplies provide resources foe that student and their parents. For a student who may not understand English provide interventions and rein forcers in their native language. A direct line of communication will be established with the community by giving and receiving information to and from our parents in the community.

I do have a response to my opinionated statement on the discussion board about students running the household. I say that because in most cases the in ELL households the students are more informed and more knowledgeable than the parents and therefore when it comes to their education the parents let them take the driver seat. I do not have any data to substantiate this opinion but I will be adding to my research as far as the parental involvement.

Sharing Your Action Research is Very Important..........................

It is very important to share my action research with all constituencies who has a vested interest. According to Dana (2009), “An unshared practitioner’s inquiry is like the stone lying beside the pond. Unless that inquiry is tossed into the professional conversations that contribute to the knowledge base for teaching and administration, it has little chance of creating change” (page 135). I believe that professionals generally learn better from other professionals.  As such, action-research tends to fosters professional growth. Action research inquiries serves as a resource for multiple parties such as: teachers, principals, schools, other districts, state agencies, and even policy makers. There are a variety of ways to share your research including presentations and write-ups using blogs, journals, etc.  I intend on sharing my research using my blog. This will also serve as a tool to share my findings with my colleagues and fellow educators. Furthermore, I plan to display the data and report my findings to my campus and other interested parties. I also plan to design graphs and data analysis with comparison charts to indicate growth and that will demonstrate where we begin in the implementation process and where we are currently at in our progress.  In addition, I plan to meet with my campus team members on an ongoing basis to determine the success of the program as well as its fidelity. Finally, I intend on maintaining constant contact with the students, teachers, and parents through meeting and surveys in order to receive additional feedback. I will use the information obtained from this feedback to reflect and evaluate my success of my action research and the implementation on campus in its entirety.

Research Action Plan

Action Planning Template Goal: Close the gap of Reed Academy’s ELL students Action Steps(s): Person(s) Responsible: Timeline: Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation Identify those LEP students needing interventions; Meet with bilingual teachers S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo V. Gallow Start - 10/11 End- 01/12 TAKS, TELPAS, Teacher Observation forms, Running Record Scores Are all ELL students in need of intervention identified (identified through TELPAS, TAKS, teacher observations, etc.) Survey teachers, students, and parents on knowledge and quality of ELL program as currently implemented. S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown Parental Involvement Committee Start - 10/11 End  01/12 Survey Monkey, Parent Portal, Book: Designing surveys: A Guide  to Decisions and Procedures Participation rate on surveys at > 65% Identify Interventions S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo  Started 10/11-01/12 Research-based Interventions (i.e., Rosetta Stone, Imagine-Learning, and other current  district programs) 1.  Are the interventions aligned? Are they effective? 2.  What does the research say about the interventions? Set up conference with parents S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown Started 10/11-01/12 Assessment Data, Research data of Interventions, Survey Results, 1.  Do the parents have a clear understanding of the ELL program and its’ goals? 2. Do they understand their role in the process? 3.  Are they supportive? 4. Have their opinions and ideas been validated by stakeholders at the campus level? Implement schedule of classes S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo L. Glenn 01/12-05/12 Master schedule, assessment data, and data from other campuses and/or district with same demographics. Is this schedule feasible for all parties? Establish committee to monitor student growth S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown 1/12-06/12 Data, academic plans/goals. 1.  Ensure that all members have a vested interest in the committee?  2.  Benchmark success with common goals. 3.  What can we do to support the development of the ELL students and the program? Assess success of intervention S. Daughtery C. Donatto-Brown C. Salcedo 01/12 – 08/12 Data 1.  Is the intervention working as measured by assessments and student performance? 2. What programs or changes need to be implemented?